RosaceaNet Article
Controlling Flare-Ups Can Boost Self-Esteem

Rosacea’s emotional toll can be worse than the physical aspects. Insensitive questions, misconceptions that heavy drinking or poor hygiene caused the condition, feelings of embarrassment and the desire to look “normal” can decrease self-confidence and lead people with rosacea to decline social invitations, postpone or cancel business meetings and miss work.

Research shows that effectively controlling the physical aspects can significantly improve one’s emotional well being, self-confidence and social life. The key to controlling rosacea is to use medications as prescribed, follow a rosacea-friendly skin care regimen and avoid triggers. While using medication as prescribed and adhering to a skin care routine are pretty straightforward, making lifestyle modifications that minimize flare-ups but do not severely limit everyday activities can be a challenge. Here are some tips for dealing with common rosacea triggers without severely limiting your activities.

Cooking: Staying Cool in the Kitchen
Exercise: Keeping Fit while Minimizing Flare-ups
Food and Drink: Tips for Monitoring Your Diet
Heat: Ways to Protect Your Skin
Sun: Protection Strategies that Work
Stress: Reduction and Avoidance Techniques
Travel: Savvy Tips for Travelers with Rosacea
Wind and Cold: How to Weather
Yard Work and Housecleaning: Tips to Make Them Bearable

Cooking: Staying Cool in the Kitchen
Just because you cannot stand the heat does not mean that you must stay out of the kitchen if you have rosacea. The trick is to keep cool. Here are some ways to keep your cool while preparing a homemade meal for one or 20:

• Ventilate your kitchen when you cook: Open windows, use fans.

• Prepare some dishes in advance.

• Breakaway to a cooler room as often as you can.

• Wear loose comfortable clothing.

• While cooking, use one or more of the cool-down strategies listed in the box below.

Exercise: Keeping Fit while Minimizing Flare-ups
Exercising without experiencing a flare-up can be particularly challenging. A survey conducted by the National Rosacea Society revealed that heavy exercise triggered a flare-up in 56% of the respondents. Here are some ways to minimize flare-ups while exercising.

• Make sure you are cool before you begin. If not, cool down with one or more of the cool-down strategies.

• Take breaks as needed to cool down, using one or more of the cool-down strategies. A skater found that breaking every 15 minutes to cool down kept her flare-ups at bay.

• Lower the intensity. Lower intensity exercise still gives you the benefits of exercise.

  • Increase the frequency. Instead of exercising for 45 minutes, exercise for three 15-minute sessions.

  • Try aqua aerobics.

  • When exercising outdoors during warm weather, use these tactics:

    • Exercise in the early morning or late evening when it is cooler.

    • Avoid hot asphalt.

    • If the sun is out, opt for shaded trails and be sure to protect your skin from the sun.

  • When exercising indoors, make sure the room is well ventilated and not too warm or stuffy.

Food and Drink: Tips for Monitoring Your Diet
Numerous foods and beverages can cause a flare-up. The key to avoiding these flare-ups is to know which foods and beverages, if any, are triggers for you. Some of the most common triggers according to a survey conducted by the National Rosacea Society are alcohol (52%), spicy foods (45%) and heated beverages (36%). Here are some tips to help you control diet flare-ups:

• Keep a trigger journal. If you eat or drink something that causes a flare-up, record the experience in your journal so you know to avoid it.

• At social events, avoid known triggers and do not experiment.

• Stick to non-alcoholic beverages if alcohol triggers a flare-up.

• Proceed with caution around spices. Cayenne and red pepper trigger flare-ups in many people with rosacea. Curry, chili powder, black pepper, white pepper and salsa have also been known to cause a flare-up.

• Heated beverages pose a risk. Hot chocolate, cider, coffee, tea and other thermally warm beverages can trigger a flare-up.

• Liver, vinegar, soy sauce, dairy products, certain fruits and vegetables are triggers for some.

• At the grocery store, read labels before you purchase.

Heat: Ways to Protect Your Skin
Beating the heat can be a year-round challenge for rosacea sufferers. Here are some strategies designed to help keep you cool:

• Avoid steam, saunas, hot showers and hot baths.

• Control indoor temperatures. In winter, indoor heat can cause a flare-up. When possible set the thermostat to a temperature that does not trigger your rosacea. In the summer, retreat to air-conditioned places.

• Ventilate stuffy areas with fans and open windows.

• Dress in layers; if you start to overheat, you can easily remove a layer.

• When the weather is warm, wear lightweight loose-fitting clothes.

• On warm windy days, wear a light scarf and large-brimmed hat to protect your face.

• Keep your moisturizers in the refrigerator.

• A few minutes before bed, place your pillowcase in a dry plastic bag, put it in the freezer and retrieve it just before you get into bed

• If you do become overheated or begin to flush, cool down quickly with one or more of the cool-down strategies listed in the box above.

Sun: Protection Strategies that Work
A survey conducted by the National Rosacea Society revealed that sun exposure was the number one trigger among respondents, affecting 81% of respondents. Here are sun protection tips that can help you steer clear of sun-related flare-ups:

• Minimize your exposure to the sun by avoiding direct sun exposure during the peak sunlight hours of 10 am to 4 pm.

• Wear a wide-brimmed hat that protects your face from the sun but does not overheat you.

• Use an umbrella, or parasol, to shade yourself from the sun when you cannot avoid the sun.

• Apply a broad spectrum (protects against UVA and UVB rays) with an SPF of 15 or more, and apply the sunscreen 30 minutes before going outdoors. Your dermatologist can help you find a sunscreen that does not irritate your skin.

• Reapply the sunscreen as needed when outdoors, every two hours or after being in water or perspiring.

• Protect your eyes by wearing sunglasses that shield eyes from both UVA and UVB rays.

Stress: Reduction and Avoidance Techniques
Emotional stress is the second most common trigger according to the National Rosacea Society. The good news is that stress reduction and avoidance techniques can keep stress flare-ups at bay. Here are some tips others use to successfully control rosacea:

• Maintain your treatment regimen. When life becomes especially hectic, it is important to comply with your treatment regimen to help avoid a flare-up.

• Don’t skimp on sleep. Adequate sleep reduces stress, and sleep gives your skin time to rejuvenate.

• Pace yourself.

• Think calm. Take a minute or two to think calming thoughts when under stress.

• Free your mind with a relaxation technique, such as deep breathing, progressive relaxation, visualization, yoga, meditation or listening to a relaxation CD.

• Write away your worries. Research shows that taking 15 minutes each day to write down your concerns is an effective stress-management technique. Ripping up the paper after you finish writing also helps relieves stress.

• Participate in a hobby. Doing something you enjoy can enhance your mental, emotional and physical well-being.

• Get a pet. Pets reduce stress for many.

• Make time for yourself everyday. Make a list of things you enjoy. Maybe a walk, catching a favorite TV show or curling up with a book are on your list. Find time everyday to do something you enjoy.

Travel: Savvy Tips for Travelers with Rosacea
Whether it’s for business or pleasure, medications and skin care practices should not be left at home when you travel. Following these tips can help you keep your rosacea under control while away from home:

• When flying, pack your medication and any special skin care products in your carry-on bag.

• Don’t take a break from your normal skin care routine and use medication as prescribed. Research shows that consistent use improves the overall effectiveness of therapy.

• When eating, avoid known triggers and proceed with caution when trying new foods.

• Remember to practice sun protection. Limit your exposure to the sun, wear sunglasses that protect your eyes from both the UVA and UVB rays of the sun, apply a broad spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or more, and wear protective clothing, such as a wide-brimmed hat.

• When it is warm outside, plan outdoor activities for cooler times of the day.

Wind and Cold: How to Weather
Wind and cold weather are common triggers. Here are tips to help you avoid these flare-ups:

• Minimize time outdoors.

• Cover your face with a scarf or ski mask to protect it from the wind and cold.

• Protect your eyes by wearing sunglasses that shield your eyes from both the UVA and UVB rays.

• Use a broad spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or more on exposed skin. The sun’s reflective powers are great year round—17% on the sand and 80% on the snow.

• Wear protective creams that can create a barrier to shield your skin. Your dermatologists can help you find a product that does not irritate your skin.

• Wear loose layered clothing. This allows you to stay warm and remove layers as needed to prevent overheating.

• Reduce indoor heating.

• Avoid sitting near a lit fireplace or stove.

• Limit consumption of heated beverages and alcohol if these are triggers.

Yard Work and Housecleaning: Tips to Make Them Bearable
It is possible to keep your yard and home tidy and flare-ups at bay with these tips:

• Avoid yard work and housecleaning when it is hot and humid. If you must work in these conditions, do so in the early morning or late evening when it is cooler.

• Follow the sun protection strategies listed above, which include avoiding the sun, using sunscreen and wearing sunglasses that offer UVA and UVB protection.

• Pace yourself when working so that you do not overheat.

• If you find yourself overheating, be prepared to use one or more of the cool-down strategies listed in the box above.

An educational program brought to you by the American Academy of Dermatology.